Consumers increasingly prefer products which reflect their own values. Products made or packaged using materials that are recyclable and/or renewable, for example, may be perceived as being environmentally friendly. A coffee cup that is made from a recyclable material may demonstrate a cultural value that reinforces customer loyalty. For all of those reasons, and many more, use of recyclable or renewable materials will continue to grow.
One important recyclable and renewable material is paper pulp which is renewable, recyclable, and can even be compostable. Pulp can be formed into many different shapes, from the humble egg carton to containers with a smooth finish closely resembling plastic. However, unlike more resilient materials like thermoformed plastic, paper pulp tends to lose its rigidity and structural integrity very quickly when subjected to mechanical deformation as may occur during ordinary handling.
Thermoformed plastic containers are well known as inexpensive and highly customizable containers for the sale of a wide variety of products, everything from cell phones to deli meats. Thermoformed plastic containers are typically made from petroleum that may often be recyclable, but is generally not renewable or compostable.
Simple hybrid containers that combine thermoformed plastic components with pulp components are also known. For example, plastic lids are commonly used along with pulp cups for coffee. Injection molded hybrid containers, which require assembly in an injection molder are also known. This type of container combines injection molded plastic formed around a molded fiber/paper part to form a permanently bonded part.
What is needed is a hybrid container that can combine both pulp and thermoformed plastic components to maximize renewable and/or recyclable content while maintaining the structural and functional advantages of thermoformed plastic.